E. F. Benson (1867–1940)

Emmeline Lucas is a snob of the first order. And so hilariously affected. How affected? She insists that all of her friends and acquaintances call her "Lucia," with the Italian pronunciation, and invariably refers to her husband Philip as "Pepino." (The joke, of course, is that Lucia's Italian is so bad that she doesn't realize that it's spelled Peppino, and that it's a nickname for Giuseppe -- that is, Joseph. Philip would be Filippo, and the nickname would be Pippo.)

At first, I was simply show more infuriated at her relentless social climbing and affectations, but as the book wore on, I gradually, like so many of the socialites and artistic lions that Lucia so assiduously cultivated during her brief season in London, came to become a Luciaphil [sic] myself. (The group formed an admiration society they dubbed the Luciaphil Club where they both laughed at Lucia and admired her determination to force herself into London's highest social circles -- needless to say, without Lucia's knowledge.)

Was I delighted when Lucia's social-climbing antics made her into a fool or when she otherwise got her comeuppances? I would be less than human if I weren't. However, like Georgie Pillson and Mrs. Boucher, her friends from the village of Riseholme, I came to realize that life, whether in London or Riseholme, just wasn't as fun without Lucia. Even if she did steal most of her ideas from others (usually her poor neighbor, the incredibly silly Daisy Quantock), Lucia just did so much more fun things with them than the originator. She was over the top, yes, but she made me laugh out loud with her inexorable attempts to befriend duchesses, genius musicians and other luminaries of London society.

Be sure to read the Lucia books in order, beginning with Queen Lucia. You'll find yourself laughing out loud and, while finding Lucia infuriating, you'll end up becoming a Luciaphil, too. Divertitevi! show less

In Volume 3 of the Mapp and Lucia series, Lucia and Peppino have inherited a house in London on the death of his Aunt Amy. In true Riseholme fashion, the news travels fast from neighbor to neighbor and everyone is, of course, trying to figure out what Lucia will do---will she go or will she stay. In the end, she and Peppino decide to divide their time between Riseholme and London. They make many new friends, or at least fascinated people who are fairly astounded by the sheer audacity that is show more Lucia.

And Riseholme adjusts to Lucia's absence and, with the help of Daisy Quantock's Ouija board, the town's people decide to erect a museum and fill it with local antiquities that may interest tourists. There also seems to be renewed interest in golf. But after more than a few missteps on Lucia's part, it becomes more apparent that the town needs her as much as she needs it.

It's all told with great humor, just as the first two volumes were. This series just oozes with delightful passages, biting satire, one-upsmanship and intricate plotting by all involved to get the better of the next guy and I can't seem to get enough of it. Absolutely delicious. show less

This is a 72-page novella that was originally published in 1908. It's a story of a crime and of how easily justice can be thwarted, with a little bit of detection, but the outcome depends more on the behavior of the criminal than anything else..
Morris Assheton is due to come into his inheritance when he’s twenty-five. A clause in his father’s will allows him to take control of his money earlier, if he marries a woman that his mother approves of.
Morris has met and fallen in love with a show more woman that meets that criteria, so his trustee, Edward Taynton, suggests he might want to take a look at his accounts of the trust. Morris has other more important things to think about, though, like his future wife, and his shinny brand-new car which he loves with at least as much fervor as he has for his future wife. Morris's hesitancy is a lucky thing for his attorneys Edward, and his partner Godfrey Mills. He lawyers have been gambling unsuccessfully with Morris's trust funds. So all seems well, but things are about to go wrong and when they do, it will all lead to murder.

This is listed as a mystery, but it really isn’t... or at least the possibilities are so limited that even me as an 11-year-old, was able to figure out "whodunit" pretty early on. What it really is, is an entertaining and insightful character study of the three main characters, Morris and the two trustees, but mostly of Edward Taynton.

Edward is not a bad man. In fact, his gambling was meant to benefit Morris as much as himself...and he still hoped to replace the money that was lost before the trust is used up. He’s worked hard to give himself a comfortable life and he hopes to retire soon to enjoy life before he’s too old. We see how he’s affected by all the pressure of what they have done. He makes some rather odd decisions but somehow manages to justify his behavior. A kind, friendly man that everyone likes and respects, with a slight streak of narcissism beneath the surface.

Morris, one of the trustees, is also a pleasant character, who leads a contented, pampered happy life and has every reason to expect that to continue. However, when things go wrong, suddenly he becomes angry...filled with rage that shocks and surprises everyone, including himself. He suddenly is behaving in a way that surprises his partner.

When the murder happens, it's quite late in the story, but remember the entire book is only 72-pages. The author builds a great atmosphere of dread, with some good dramatic writing. After a police investigation in which the police show themselves to be smarter than the murderer thought they were, it should be no surprise that they all end up in a courtroom drama where there’s an excellent, unexpected revelation that surrounds a physical clue that turns the prosecution’s whole case upside down at the last minute. The reader is only made aware of the clue at just the appropriate place and time, but while I had read this little book what seems like at least a thousand times, I remember spotting that it was THE CLUE...the one that as an 11-year old, I couldn’t figure out, but as an adult I caught right away and just added to the fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed this little venture into my younger days. Unless you are the world's slowest reader you can easily read this in a few hours. My interest never flagged despite knowing "whodunit" and how it would end. I think that it's the character of Edward that makes it so entertaining. He may be a cheat and a bit of an untalented crook, but I found him to be welcome company in my delve into my past. My apologizes, but thank you, if you have read this entire review which is almost longer than the book:) show less

This is just the sort of thing that makes the Kindle worthwhile; I suspect that without the Kindle, this would have passed me by. And I'm so glad it didn't.

This is an account of a year in the life of a small English town early in the twentieth century, and the doings of its upper middle-class inhabitants. If that sounds unpromising then take heart; E F ’Fred’ Benson sketches his subjects with a wry savagery that is outrageously funny. At the centre of the community is Mrs Emmeline Lucas, show more known to all as Lucia (pronounced in the Italian manner). Lucia is vain, narcissistic, scheming and thoroughly selfish as she plots her way around the threats posed to her social pre-eminence by an Indian mystic, an aristocratic Russian spiritualist, a distinguished diva and, of course, her fellow residents who constantly try to pull her down a peg or two. Of these, only Georgie, vain and rather fey (no doubt reflecting Fred Benson’s homosexuality), is at all likeable.

Quite delightful. show less